Speed control governing apparatus



Patented Oct. 7, 1952 Howard Carson and Clifford I). Muzzey, (Dayton,` Ohio, assignors to General Motors Corporation,

Detroit, Mich., acorporation of Delaware `r Application November 23, 1945, Serial No. tiillir` 4 A f This invention vrelates to apparatus for governing the speed of an engine, for example,l an airplane engine which drives a propeller. In that case, the apparatus would control engine speed by changing the pitch of the propeller blades. 'I'hepresnt Vinventionfis `not limited to 'control the propeller iblade f angle /but `may be A applied to thefcontrol of the now' of the operatingffluid as in afsteam engine, Yorto the control :of ,the fuel as'ffin an internal combustion engine.

I `.ltr'irobjecl-f of the inventionis-to provide a y ment Lof lthe-present.irn/ention is iclearlyshown.

Inathedrawingz i I, Fig.` Al .is 'la :diagrammatic 4illustration of the .invention as applied :to the `governing of an 'aircraft `engine speed bly. propeller `pitch control.

Figs. 2 through 5 are chartsfsshowing its operation. i

Blade pitch control-*servo I comprises cylinder I I. piston l2 and rod I3 having a rack:` I3a meshing with a gear segment I3b coaxial with root R. of a propeller blade B. Pipes I4 and I5 connect cylinder II With-ports-.IB and I'I respectively of a xed sleeve I9 having a pressure fluid inlet I8. Sleeve I9 is a part of a valve unit 2,0"whlch receives a movable sleeve valve 2| having ports 22, 23 and 24 registerable, respectively, with ports IB, Il and I8. Sleeve 2I receives a valve- 25 having lands 2B and 2l. A valveunlt 30pmvides a valve 3| having lands 32and 33' controlpressure fluid inlet 31. Azgovernorfllllhas `ily- ;weights 41 which engage apad 1.422 fofvrod I 43 which operatesivalves 25 fandf3-I. LContrdl spring Mwislocated between pad 42 and apad :45 which I'may be adjustable;` for example; by a cam uCirotated byusafshafts to vary thecompression lof :'springiM.. Weightstll "are pivotally-supported .ibyia "gear {Illa` driven by the engine: Inlets "I8 and 3l areconnectedfbypipe46"withanoil pump 4l having a'pressurecontrol valve 41'). f Servo 50 distances represent time.

" 5 clanes. (el. 264-4) comprises a cylinder 5I, a piston 52 and a rod 53 carrying a pin, 54. receivedlw,a` notch ina lever 55 connected by a link 5B with sleeve valve 2l and by pin 51 with rod I3. Pipes 58 and 59 connect thecylinder 5I with ports34and 35,` respectively. Lj; I l

It is apparent that the `*flou/of pressure `fluid into the servo cylinder Il) iscontrolled jointly 4by valve 25 actuated by governorA 40 and by valve 2I actuated by pistonIZ andalso bypiston 52 which-ris, controlled by valve 3I, ,a*ctuated by the governor 40. The functions of thiscomblnation ofelexnents `canbe understood better if the result to be accomplished is rst explainedby referencelto Figs. 2 to5 in which the horizontal resntsvafspeed Atofberimaintained and distances abone andbelowv the` line N` represent,1 respectively, positive and negative speed error. In Figs. 3 to 5, point A is `a blade angle before the speed error and line-IA' isthe blade angle required to correct the speed error.

Curve E of Fig. 2 represents the iiuctuations of speed when the governing apparatus has no stabilizer, and curvesv represent the concurrent fluctuations of 'blade angle. The slope of is maximum when theslope of E is minimum and viceversa Whichmeansfthat the rate of blade angle change is proportional `tdthe amountl of speed error. When the rate` of blade fangle `change `is proportionalV only to amount I offspeed error, the governor lacks stability 'since :there are many fluctuations of speed error accompanied by as many iluctuations'of'blade angle out of phase with speed error fluctuations by the time of fluctuation of speed error from zero speed error to the maximumvalue positive and negative. These fluctuations gradually diminish in amplitude and equilibrium may eventually be reached after a ,considerable lapse of time.

The present invention aims to minimize the fluctuations of speed error, one oscillation ,from zero error being the goal. This is represented by curve Es,(Eig.2l) meaning gOverning action with stabilizer. Curve (Fig. 3) represents blade angle change required to correct speed errorac cording to curve Es.- ,Curve is the resultant of curve x (Fig. 4) and curve y (Fig. 5I). The slope of `is proportional to the slopes of 5X and y. The slope of x is proportional to the amount of speed 4error represented by Es. `The slope of By is proportional to the slope `of Esfor `to the rate of change of speed error. Therefore the slope ofwhich represents the rate of change 55 of blade angle is Aproportional'tol the. speed error In Fig. 2, line Nrep- It will now be demonstrated with respect to the Y present apparatus that the rate of change of blade angle is p-roportional'to the amount of speed error n and to the rate of change of speedv error n'.

=rate of change of blade angle it or El=rate of change of speed error The following demonstrates that B varies as n and 1' k1 is the constant of the governor 40.

k2 is the constant of valve unit 30. k3 is the'constant of valve unit 2U. is the deflection of valves 3l and 25. d is the deflection of sleeve valve 2 I. i is` the deflection of piston 52 'and rod 53. 'is `the deilection of rod I3v and represents blade angle change.

Aa is the partof lever 55 between pin 54 and link 56.

i b is the part of lever 55 between link 56 and pin 51. 'l 8 is proportional to speed error and equals km. ARate of deflection of rod 53 is proportional to and equals kmr; therefore B, or dt=k2 For t in this equation, substitute km; therefore I I B1=kik2n ,which-means thatl deection iv is proportional tointegrated speed error.

'Y which will be called x.

B (or rate of change of blade angle) is proportional to the diierence between deflections andd; therefore Y =ks(d) In'the above equation, substitute 1cm for there- 4 (Term i Lil k3 a is the lag factor, and is proportional to the acceleration of blade angle change.)

Vis proportional to n and to it which means that rate of blade angle change is proportional to the speed error and to the rate of change of speed error.

The term expresses the component of blade movement The x movement is that resulting from movement i (movement of piston 52), valve 25 being considered as stationary. When piston 52 moves down as result of upward movement of valve 3I due to -positiv speed error, n, x movement up is l b Y t Since servo' 50 operates to shift valve 2I down to open port 23 to pressure, and-valve 2l is shifted up to equilibrium position by upward movement of piston I 2 the distance x, the result is the same as if valve 2I were 'fixed and servo 5D operated directly to move rod I3 up the distance x.

and Y p1=nk2fnat therefore x varies as fmlt and of xlvaries as n. 1 Y 1 Let/3y` denoterthat component of resulting from movement of valve 25,due to speed error n, piston 52` being stationary. On moving up,

5x (rate of change valve 25 uncovers port 23, and piston I2 moves,l

up until valve 2| (moved `by piston I2) 'has blocked port 23.v Valve 25 moves distance km.

Valve 2'I moves distance which equals kin. Piston I2 moves distance By varies as n,

y varies as n. Y f y .(rate of change of y) varies as a (rate of changeof speed error) andere error and follow-up by .valveaZLpiston 52 being stationery. v"fl-hr rlstentanwasivalues denoted by y are proportional to n. `Th e slop,e fficur've da 51555 v .which is. proportional tot 4or the, slope l of .Qurve.Es.i-

Curve denotes the algebraic sum ofl lx vand dy. I ts slope B comprisesslope components Bx .and ,By which `are proportional,respectively,to

`mand 1l.. Therefore (slopeofcurvedifs,pro-

portional ton and stabnay of contra is obtaiiedibecausa asinj di'c'ated by `curve c; blade angle changes;rapidly .as 'speeder'ror starts to' increasje, therebyrretard- "ing increase of sp'e'ederror 'sotliat its `niaidm-um will be low.? Even"wbefore44 positive speed error reaches maximum, the` ratepf blade angle change dec-reases, and continues ,'t'o decrease, as `speed error-'decreases'. In this way speedy error' is limited to a low maximum; and it gradually reduces to zero, without going to a negative value.

Correction of negative speed error is just the reverse of correction of positive speed error.

Valve unit 2B may be considered as uniting components 13x and y of In the foregoing description of the operation of the elements in Fig. 1, it has been assumed for the purpose oi analyzing the operation of the valve parts that one or another of certain of the valve parts remain stationary while others of the valve parts perform their several and contributary functions. It will be understood of course, that these valve parts operate concurrently to produce their component functions of the complete operation.

Another way of stating the action of the speed governor, when increasing the blade angle in order to correct an overspeed or positive speed error, is that there is an upward displacement of piston l2 so long as there is any relative displacement of valves and 2l froma position in which the lands 26 and 21 register with the ports 22 and 23. While the speed error is increasing (upward slope of curve ES) valve 25 is moving up and piston 52 is moving down. Therefore,-

there is a displacement of valve 25 upwardly relatively to valve 2l while at the same time there is a downward displacement of valve 2l relative to valve 25. Consequently piston l2 moves up at a rate which is greater than would be the case if valve 25 were considered stationary and valve 2| were displaced downwardly or as would be the case if valve 2l were considered stationary while valve 25 were displaced upwardly. Up to the of th Darts in time thatspe'ed error reaches the maximum value pistoni' `I2 'moves upwardlyrelatively i `rapidly therebyincreasingthe blade angleto a value closelyapproaching that value that it must bein 'order' t"o eliminate the speedferror. The displacement cf the blade is represented by line 3 in Figi whiclris `the sumof the,line"2` ofFigri and line lawless: t r f While speed erroris `diminislfiing there is downward movement of valve `25 while therevis retarded downward movement 'ofvalve 21. vSince these valves are now moving inthe same direction, the piston 121s not required tofmove nearlyfso lf ar 11pwardlyV in order toi bring the-valves 25| and `-25`yto` equilibrium position;` "The operatior'i'oithe device isjtofquicklyi check en overspeeii` error by causing, first a rapid upward movement of p'istoir l2 `so that the speed' error will-increase `only to a`-relativlys mallvalue. and the eilectl a nal dec teasing 'rate` sof-asfnt to overco'rrectl iorf'the "positive speedferrer` and cause a negativefl error angle increase about-the timethespeederror acedl upwardly in proportion 'to integrated speed r'or,`th`e` values ofwhich are represented by line px" in Fig. 1i 'andjin proportion' to amountl of speed rect'ed in the saine manner by Vrelative movements directions oppositeftothose above mentioned. f f; v4XlVhile theembodiinent ofjthe presentinvention as herein disclosed, constitutes'afpreferred for-m,

.l it iste be understood that otherformsm'ight be adopted, all coming within 'th'escopel of the 4claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Governing apparatus comprising an hydraulic servo-motor having a cylinder and a piston, a fluid pressure source, means operated by the piston for controlling the speed of a prime-mover. avalve mechanism for connecting the source with said cylinder, said valve mechanism including a valve guide providing an intake port connected with the source and distribution ports connected with opposite ends of the cylinder, and two cooperable valve elements each movable relative to said valve guide for jointly controlling connection between the intake port and the distribution ports, centrifugal means for positioning oneof the valve elements` in accordance with the amount of speed error, and means including a pilot valve actuated by said centrifugal means. a piston controlled by the pilot valve, and a floating lever pivoted intermediate its length to the other valve' element andat its ends to the rst mentioned piston and to the last recited piston for positioning said other valve element in accordance with integrated speed error, whereby the position of the piston is under joint control of speed error and integrated speed error. and whereby the rate of movement of the piston is proportional to rate of change of speed error and to the amount of speed error.

2. A governing apparatus for` controlling the speed of a prime mover, comprising a hydraulic servomotor having a cylinder and a piston which positions a speed controlling element for said prime mover, and a valve mechanism for controlling flow of pressure fluid into one end or the other of the cylinder comprising; a valve guide vhaving a pressure inlet port connected with a pressure source and distribution ports connected krespectively fwth opposite endspf the cylinder, a sleeve valve having portsiwhich in equilibrium position thereof register respectively with the ports of the valve guide, a spool valve having lands which in the equilibrium position of the spool valve register withthe dis-` tribution ports of the sleeve valve, centrifugal y means for deflecting one of the valves in proportion to the amount'of the speed error, and including a pilot valveactuated by said centrifugal means,a piston controlled by the pilot valve, and

a floating lever pivoted intermediate its, length to the other valve element and at its ends to the iirstmentioned piston and to the last recited piston for deflecting the other valve in propor `tion tothe amount of integrated speed error.

e 43. A governing apparatus for controlling speed,

.comprising a fluid servomotor having a cylinder y' and piston, and a valve mechanism for control- Vling flow of pressure fluid into one end or the other of the cylinder comprising, va valveA guide having a pressure inlet port connected with a pressure source and pressure distribution ports connected respectivelyT With opposite ends ofthe cylinder, a sleeve valve having a supply port and distribution ports which in the equilibrium position thereof register respectively with the ports of said valve guide, a spool valve having lands which in the equilibrium position of the spool valve register with the distribution ports of'the ksleeve valve, means for applying the fluid pressure at the said valve mechanism to the servo cylinder in response to amount of speed error, means actuated by the servo cylinder for modifying the application of said fluid pressure in responserto rate of change of speed error, in- Vcluding centrifugal means for defiecting one of said valves in-proportion to the amount of speed error, and means including a-pllot Vvvalve actu#- 1 ated by said centrifugal means, a piston controlled by the pilot valve and a floating lever pivoted intermediate its length to the otherifvalve element and at its ends to the first mentioned piston and to the last recited pistonfor `deflecting the othenvalve in proportion-to the amount of integrated speed error. n

4. The combination set forth in claim 2,

1 wherein the sleeve valve is deflected in proportion to the amount of integrated speed error.

5. The combination set forth in claim 2, wherein the spool valve is deflected in proportion to the amount of speed error.

` HOWARD CARSON.

l CLIFFORD L. MUZZEY.

. REFERENCES CITED v The following references are of record in the le of this patent: I

UNITED STATES PATENTS 600,855 Germany Aug. `1934 

